Page 1861 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR SMYTH: I ask a supplementary question. Chief Minister, when will Canberrans see the benefits of this much lauded reform package on the affordability of housing in the ACT?
MR STANHOPE: I am sure that they are already seeing significant benefits. For instance, I was advised just yesterday that in the most recent in globo release in west Macgregor—the land was sold only four months ago—180 pre-sales had already been made as a result of the release to the market of west Macgregor. So there is an immediate benefit. As a result of that single initiative 180 Canberra families have identified land and pre-purchased it. There is an example. If the member wants to know when the benefits of the taskforce report and its implementation will be shown, it is now; it is immediately.
I think that is an example of both the pent-up demand and the decisions that the government has taken. There has been significant progress on a range of other initiatives. Just two weeks ago my colleague the Minister for Housing presided at the formal transferral of 132 houses to Community Housing Canberra—a proposal which with a loan facility of $50 million and a capital injection of $3.2 million, plus the transfer of 132 homes, gives Community Housing Canberra enormous capacity to leverage the delivery, as is expected of it, of 1,000 houses within the next 10 years.
The process has started and the houses have been transferred. The loan facility is in the process of being finalised. The capital injection of $3.2 million will be made. Community Housing Canberra fully expects on the basis of this new arrangement to be providing 500 homes for rental and 500 homes for purchase within 10 years. That is a massive change in the nature of the provision of social housing and housing for those who might otherwise not be able to enter the market. There is another example.
We are well advanced in the development of proposals across the board. There are 60 recommendations and we are in the process of implementing them all. They will make a very significant difference. The housing affordability taskforce report is lauded across the spectrum within the ACT, whether it be by organisations such as Shelter, ACTCOSS, CHC, the Master Builders Association, the Housing Industry Association and the Property Council. There has been broadscale, wholesale unanimous support and endorsement of the package and its initiatives. We are working in very close collaboration with all stakeholders.
Of course, we have the constant carping from the Liberal Party, which really does not have a policy and that has never had an idea, we would never have imagined what might have been achieved in the delivery of affordable housing to people of the ACT. It is through this very innovative reform package that what is being done in the ACT has received the plaudits that it has. I look forward to its continued implementation. I acknowledge, of course, that in relation to issues around planning, the delivery of land and the capacity to meet the level of demand that there is, it will take time.
Housing—investment
MR SESELJA: My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, you have been cited in the media blaming changes in the superannuation laws for people investing in
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .